Class 




Copyright N?J^^£l£ 



S- 



COPyRIGHT DEPOSm 



RHYMES AND VERSES 
WRITTEN^ FOR THE FAMILY 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

WRITTEN FOR THE FAMILY 
1880-1908 



BY 

GRINNELL WILLIS 



1908 



Copyright, 1901 and 1908, hy Grinnell Willis 



LIBRARY of CONaKE^S; 



^'V 






Two Copies Kecjivjc • '>''^ ft'r)^ 

FEB 19 1^0^ \X 






To my Mother-in-Law 

The laws of the land are many and old, 
Moses made some of them, so I am told; 
But the bonniest law that ever I saw 
Is my own, my jolly old mother-in-law. 



Introduction to the Second Edition 

I HAVE written these "Rhymes and Verses" from 
time to time, often without preparation, and many 
of them at a moment's notice, to express the fun or 
sentiment of an occasion. Their defects are many, and 
I claim no poetical merit for them. I said to a friend 
a short time ago: "This is not poetry." "No," he 
replied, "it is the heart singing." That expresses my 
feeling. The little volume bears its message from my 
heart to my family and my friends, as a loving re- 
membrance of old times and happy days which are 
now memories of the past. 

Affectionately, 

Grinnell Willis. 



Contents 



PAGE 

Christmas Rhyme, Sung at Every Ohristmas Gathering for 
Many Years 1 

Lines to my Wife when We Moved into Our New House at 
Morristown, February 18, 1892. The Old Home Dressed Anew 3 

Written for Cradle Sent to Annie Haydock, November, 1884 5 

To Robert Haydock, Christmas, 1884 6 

Read at Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Haydock's Fiftieth Wedding Anni- 
versary, 1839-1889 7 

To Sara H. Baker, on her Birthday, March 2, 1891 .... 9 

To Sara H. Baker, when She Left Us and began Her Course 
in the Training School at "Bellevue" 10 

Read at Mr. and Mrs. Haydock's Forty-ninth Wedding Anni- 
versary, Twelfth Street, January 27, 1892 11 

To Mrs. Chinery, on her Eighteenth Birthday, February 29, 
1892, from Hannah 14 

Read at the Opening of the New Club House of the German- 
town Cricket Club at Mannheim, April 27, 1892 .... 16 

To Mary Drake, Christmas, 1893 20 

To Robert Haydock, February 1, 1894 21 



IX 



PAGS 

Mary's Birthday, 1895 23 

Hannah sailed for Europe May 23, 1895. H. H. W. — Bon 
Voyage 24 

To my Daughter Nina, 1895-1907 25 

Eugene's Birthday, August 3, 1907 27 

Anna Hallowell Graduated at the Harvard Annex, Proposing 
to Give her Life to the Classics, but Meeting Horace Davis 
Abroad, She Changed Her Mind. On the Announcement of 
her Engagement We Sent Her a Fleur-de-lis Pin, with the 
Following Lines: Hallowell vs. Horace 28 

To Anna Hallowell and Horace Davis at the time of their 
Wedding 29 

Anna Hallowell's Wedding. "Noddebo," November 28, 1895 30 

Having stood God-father for F. V. Burton's Eldest Son, I 
Sent Him a Cup with the Following Lines Engraved on the 
Bottom of It. 1892 33 

To Mr. and Mrs. F. V. Burton, on the Occasion of the Laying 
of the Corner-stone of their New Home, at Newburgh, N. 
Y., September 25, 1896 34 

To Frank Stockton, Christmas, 1896 35 

My Wife's Forty-eighth Anniversary 36 

Christmas, 1897. The Christmas Chime 37 

To Cousin Mary Parsons on her Seventy-fifth Anniversary, 
1898 38 

Lines Written in Mrs. Walter Cutting's House Book, Pitts- 
field, Mass., January 23, 1899 40 

Written for the Engagement Dinner given to Ridley Watts 
and Gertrude Hoy, October 24, 1899 . 41 



PAGB 

To my Nephew, Jack Hallowell, Right End of Harvard's Foot- 
ball Eleven, November 27, 1899. Harvard 17 — Yale . 43 

A Twelfth Street Valentine 44 

To D. S. Newhall. With a Hearth Brush for their New Home 45 

These Lines were Sent with a Set of Glasses to Fred and 
George Moore and G. Fairfax Bush, with Whom I had 
Made Pleasant Expeditions on the Wheel 46 

We Made a Visit to Uncle Charles and Mary Wharton at New- 
port. At Christmas Time Mary Sent a Shawl, with the 
Following Lines 48 

Sent with a Fly Book to my Old Friend, Fisher Corlies . . 51 

Sent with a Mince Pie to a Friend 52 

To my Boy Joe, the Harvard Junior, May, 1901 .... 53 

To my Nephew, John White Hallowell, on his Graduation 
from Harvard, 1901 55 

To my Aunt, Mrs. Joseph G. Grinnell, January, 1902 ... 57 

To my Wife, returning Home from Havana after a severe 
illness there, March, 1902 58 

To my Family and Friends, on my Fifty-fourth Anniversary, 
April, 1902 59 

To my Partner, Horace Chase Stebbins, Engraved in a Watch 
given to Him as a Wedding Present, November, 1902 . . 63 

To my Mother, Christmas, 1903. — Christmas Tide .... 64 

Haydocks vs. Hallowells , Family Bazique Championship, 
Jamestown, R. I., 1903 65 

To Miss Osborn, a fellow Suflferer with Rheumatism, Christ- 
mas, 1904 67 



PAGK 
To Wynant D. Vanderpool and my Daughter Nina, on the 
Occasion of their Engagement Dinner, February, 1905 . 68 

To my Class, Harvard, 1870, Thirty-fifth Anniversary, June, 
1905 70 

Inscribed in a Watch given to M. H. Coggeshall when he left 
me to go into Business for Himself, September 1st, 1905 . 73 

Read at our Thanksgiving Dinner, 1905 74 

To Mrs. Wynant Vanderpool, Thanksgiving Day, 1905 . . 75 

To my Sister, Mrs. N. P. Hallowell, on her Sixtieth Anni- 
versary 77 

Written from the Grand Canyon Hotel, Williams, Arizona, to 
Mr. Henry A. Stearns, March, 1906 78 

Inscribed on Fourteen Medals Offered for Individual Competi- 
tion in a Team Match between the Morris County Golf Club 
and the Tuxedo Golf Club, September, 1906 80 

To my Friend, John B. Morgan, Christmas, 1906 .... 81 

To my Wife, on the Thirty-second Anniversary of Our Wed- 
ding 82 

Written for a Friend, to be Inscribed on a Cup for his God- 
daughter, 1907 84 

Uncle Dudley's Party, Consisting of my Wife, my Niece, and 
Myself, in Europe, 1907 85 

Uncle Dudley to the Home Folks, from the "Hospice of St. 
Gotthard" 97 



ZU 



EHYMES AKD VEESBS 



Christmas Rhyme, Sung at Every Christmas 
Gathering for Many Years. 

Audience, awaiting Santa Glaus, sings : 

Welcome all to-night, 

We're glad you've come in time, 
Sing with all your might, 

Oh ! sing the Christmas rhyme. 
Make the chorus ring, 

Shout the loud applause, 
Sing with all your voices, sing. 

Hurrah! for Santa Claus! 

Chorus : 

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle loud and long. 
How joyful is the music of this our Christmas song ! 
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle loud and long, 
How joyful is the music of this our Christmas song ! 



[1] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

We all love Santa Claus, 

A merry man is he, 
We'll shout our loud applause 

And greet him merrily. 
He has a heavy pack 

With Christmas gifts galore, 
He soon will come a-knoeking,— 

A-knocking at the door.— Chorus. 

Many homes to-night 

Are waiting for his call. 
Their welcome will be warm and bright 

But ours is best of all. 
Hark ! He's coming fast, 

Hear the sleigh-bells ring. 
Now he's here at last— 
SanS'cSus: ^^^ ^^^^ ' ^^^ Christmas King! -Chorus. 

Farewell, ring out the song. 

Sing with all your heart. 
Speed the parting guest along 

If he must depart. 
Let the echoes ring. 

Shout the loud applause. 
Sing with all your voices, sing, 
Sanfa^ciaus- Gr^od-by to Santa Claus.— Chorus. 



[2] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Lines to my Wife, when We Moved into Our New 
House at Morristown, February 18, 1892. 

The Old Home Dressed Anew. 

Home again ! How sweet the sound 

Of that familiar word ! 
Our pulses thrill, our hearts rebound 

Again, when it is heard. 
A year of absence brings us back 

To home, and all thafs dear; 
The setting of it may be new, 

But the old things still are here. 
Our books and pictures greet us 

From their places on the wall, 
And friendly faces meet us 

In answer to our call. 
A new home? Yes; both old and new, 

But if we reckon o^er 
What makes a home for me and you. 

The old one seems the more. 



[3] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Old love that time has stronger made, 

Associations old, 
The children God has given us 

To cherish and unfold, 
A mother's smile and tender care 

(The home's foundation wall) — 
All these are home itself. 

The essence of it all. 
And so the new is still the old 

Where hearts are strong and true, 
And we are once more in the fold. 

In the "Old Home Dressed Anew." 



[4] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Written for Cradle Sent to Annie Hay dock, 
November, 1884. 

A CRADLE is the emblem 

Of all that's pure and true, 
A relic of the olden time 

And yet forever new. 
It surely is the Mother's shrine, 

Her all is centered there, 
And with a quiet, simple faith 

She offers up her prayer. 
She offers love that knows no bound. 

Devotion pure as air; 
An ear alert to every sound, 

A tender, watchful care. 
Ah ! doubly blessed are those who come 

To worship at this shrine. 
True happiness unites their hearts 

And makes their love divine. 



[S] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Robert Haydock, Christmas, 1884. 

Once more at home, at Christmas time, 

We gather at thy call, 
Thy children and grandchildren, 

We are coming, one and all. 
From East and West we're coming, 

A joyous, happy throng. 
Our hearts are glad, and on our lips 

The merry Christmas song. 
We've had our own Saint Nicholas, 

Our merry Christmas tree, 
But better far than all of these. 

We're coming home to thee. 
Thy presence is our beacon light. 

Our star by day, our guide by night. 
God bless you both, your children pray, 

And keep you safe for many a day. 



[6] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Bead at Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Hay dock's 

Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary, 

1839-1889. 



'Tis the golden harv^est time, 

The richest of the year, 

When nature dons her brightest dress, 
And decks the fields and the wilderness 

With glory far and near. 

'Tis the time of peace and joy. 

Of promises fulfilled. 

Of barns well stocked with the ripened ear. 
And even the haze in the atmosphere 

By a sweet peace is stilled. 

'Tis the golden time for you, 

Life's harvest garnered well, 

The peace of fifty years well spent 
Has only love and sweet content 

And happiness to tell. 



[7] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

May ever the golden blessing 

Be yours, and ne'er depart, 

And the love of friends who have been so true, 
Who are present now to rejoice with you, 

Be found in every heart. 



[8] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Sara H. Baker, on her Birthday y 
March 2, 1891. 



'^Thy hands are such dear hands, 
They are so full, they turn at our demands 
So often ; they reach out, 
With many trifles scarcely thought about. 
So many times ; they do 
So many things so kind and true ;" 
And we, whose hearts are full, can only say, 
While blessing thee from day to day. 
Our love and sympathy are surely thine, 
Enduring to the end of time. 



[9] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Sara H. Baker, 
when she left us and began her course in t 
Training School at "Bellevue.^' 

Dear friend, 'tis hard to say farewell, 
And harder yet it is to tell, 
In parting words, how strong the tie 
We sever now in this good-bye. 
"We all shall miss thy gentle grace. 
Thy willing hand and cheerful face ; 
No other friend thy place can fill. 
Though absent we shall claim thee still ; 
God bless the work thou hast begun, 

And guard thee in the years to come. 
And when thy heart is weary, or alone. 

Come back and rest in this thy home. 



[10] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Read at Mr. and Mrs. Hay dock's Forty-ninth 

Wedding Anniversary , Twelfth Street, 

January 27, 1892. 

Brothers and sisters young and old, 

Here is a story to be told, 

A rambling story full of fun 

Of the jolliest family under the sun; 

So blow the horn and ring the bell. 

And hark to what I have to tell. 



There is a dear lady whom all of us know, 
Who lives in New York right opposite "Trow," 
And she and her good man are chock full of mirth, 
A blessed old couple, the salt of the earth. 
Their children are many, some there and some here. 
But they all come together at least once a year 
To bless and be blessed, and to offer a prayer 
For the family circle in love gathered there. 



The family stock is old and strong, 
In Philadelphia they belong; 

[11] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Fishers, and Whartons, and Haydoeks too 

Were raised in clover at old "Bellevue" ; 

And Smiths and Mellors joined the throng, 

While the numbers increased as the years rolled on, 

And Hallowell and Willis were counted in. 

And the delegation from "Sandy Spring," 

And Storks and Haywards, and many more 

Found the latch string of the door. 

Ever a welcome warm and sweet 

Met all at the door of "Old Twelfth Street." 

The slave in distress has been taken in, 

And the Quaker preacher stiff and prim, 

The "merely eating friends" are fed. 

And entertained, and put to bed, 

And many a soldier in the war 

Said his last farewell from this open door. 

Here good advice was often spoken, 

And words of cheer, or some little token 

Slipped in the hand of the parting lad, 

A trifle to make his heart feel glad ; 

Or children and grandchildren trooping in 

With their everlasting noise and din. 

And Santa Glaus with his heavy pack, 

Shouting to keep his reindeer back. 

While the lads and lasses danced around. 

To a song that made the walls resound— 

[12] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

All this, and much more, the door could tell 
Of the many who've rung that well-worn bell. 

We read of the joy of a cheerful heart, 

And the good that love can do. 
Does any home more love impart 

Than this one which is open to you? 
Can we number the heart strings that center here 

Or the many friends that come 
To pull the latch string year by year, 

And call this spot their home? 
Our home, thrice blest indeed, 

And 'tis well for us to speak 
The loving thoughts, in a time like this. 

That come to those who seek. 
So join the toast I offer you, 
Our Father ! Our Mother ! tried and true, 
God bless them, we pray. 

And for many years more 
May the latch string hang out 

At the "Old Twelfth Street" door. 



[13] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Mrs. Chinery, on her Eighteenth Birthday, 
February 29, 1892, from Hannah. 



I WISH I was a baby, 

A tiny dimpled thing, 
To hear again the lullaby 

My old nurse used to sing. 

To roll about, and kick and laugh, 
Without a thought or care, 

Serenely happy, just to know 
That my old nurse was there. 

She always loved to bathe me 
In my cunning little tub. 

To wrap me in a blanket. 
And give my back a rub. 

She knew when I was hungxy. 
When my bottle I should take. 

She watched while I was sleeping, 
And amused me when awake. 



[14] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

She is a sweet old lady, 
The babies' dearest friend, 

Her touch is tenderness itself, 
Her patience without end. 

But stay! did I say old? 

No, that can never be. 
Youth, the Fairy, cares for her, 

My Dear Old Chinery. 

Others answer to the roll, 
Each twelvemonth to a day, 

And none may ever shun it. 
Or have leave to stay away. 

But when her star was lighted, 
Youth said, "Be kind and true, 

As you care for little children, 
So I will care for you." 

And we. Youth's servants, here to-day, 

His bidding gladly do. 
For leap year comes but seldom. 

Eighteen leap years to few. 

[15] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Bead at the Opening of the New Chih House of the 

Germantown Cricket Cluh at Mannheim^ 

April 27, 1892. 

The cricket is a jolly elf 

With a bright and cheerful song, 
Who knows that ease and comfort 

To an open hearth belong; 
When the fire burns the brightest, 

And the guests are coming in. 
When hearts are at their lightest 

You may hear the cricket sing. 
So let our "Mannheim" cricket 

Be the minstrel here to-night. 
And sing his song of welcome 

In the changing fire-light. 

Let him tell to us the story 

Of heroes, bold and true, 
Of the boys who won our battles. 

When cricketers were few; 

[16] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Of faithful, honest effort, 

Of treasure freely given, 
Of those who for the good of all 

Have long and nobly striven; 
Of this fine hall, this castle fair, 

This homestead builded well, 
The "Mecca" of all cricketers. 

Let our "Mannheim" cricket tell. 

Cricket— the noble, ancient game, 
Old England's sport,— of storied fame. 
Coming a stranger and unknown. 
In Germantown had found a home. 
Back in the fifties, we can name 
Such cricketers as Tom McKean, 
And Welsh, and Patterson, and Brown, 
The Old Guard of the Germantown. 
The Newhalls, Wisters, and many more. 
Whom we delight to number o'er. 
And who were always in the van 
When Young America began. 

The lads were scarcely wicket high. 
But iron nerve and practised eye 
With steady bat, and nimble ball 
Won frequent victory over all, 

[17] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

And made these clubs a household word 
Wherever cricketers were heard. 

Established thus by yeoman true, 
The game in strength and favor grew, 
And other clubs began to claim 
Their share of local cricket fame. 
But these two rivals in the race 
Were always in the foremost place, 
And every year the battle test 
Found one of them to be the best, 
Until with wisdom rarely seen. 
Where rivalry has been so keen. 
They thought to join the red and blue 
And make one club where then were two. 

So Young America was wooed 
By Germantown, in earnest mood, 
And, like a bride, gave up her name. 
That both should have a nobler fame. 

In union there is strength, 'tis said. 
And when in time these two were wed, 
Dame Fortune was an honored guest, 
And gave the future her behest, 

[18] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

That ever to the White and Blue 
Her Royal Legions should be true. 

The "Germantown," now doubly strong, 
Outgrew the home she'd known so long, 
New fields, and larger quarters were 
The urgent problems then for her. 
It seemed indeed a giant task, 
Almost too great for her to ask. 
But only from the bended bow 
Can we its strength and power know. 
And promptly, to her earnest call. 
Her sons gave answer, one and all,— 
A sturdy answer, quick and true. 
What you command, that we will do. 

And so, this jewel in her crown. 

This pride and joy of Germantown, 

This home where old and young may find 

Pleasure and sport of every kind. 

Where recreation's song is sung, 

And youth grows strong, and age grows young 

Where honor is the lesson taught, 

And all are gentlemen in sport, 

This home, our "Mannheim," came to be 

Their pledge to her of loyalty. 

[19] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Mary Drake, Christmas, 1893. 

The mountains of thy native home 
Keep guard o'er those who go and come, 
Their summits, lit with morning ray, 
Bring the glad tidings of the day, 
And sunset glow, and evening star. 
Sweet messengers of comfort are. 

So in thy quiet, restful way 

Thee gives us strength from day to day, 

Thy smile to us is morning cheer, 

A blessing when the night draws near. 

Thy presence is the sweetest thing 

That old Saint Nicholas can bring— 

A benediction to us all. 

Which we shall evermore recall. 



[20] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Robert Haydock, February 1, 1894. 

How still it is to-night ! 

The silence is so near, 
Even the passing shadow 

Seems to fall upon the ear. 

Our very hearts are still, 

And as we sit alone, 
We listen for a step 

Which we know is past and gone. 

The presence which has blessed us, 
From youth to manhood^s prime ; 

The sympathy so ready. 
The smile almost divine, 

The tender heart so true. 
The open, generous hand. 

Are only memories now— 
A mystery of the spirit land. 

[21] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

We grieve and yet we should rejoice 

That such a life has been; 
And that we have shared its blessing 

AVith all our fellow men. 



Death has no sorrow when it comes 

In such a peaceful way, 
And life will be the better 

For each one every day. 



[22] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Mary's Birthday, 1895. 

We children three, and father one, 
Planned with one another, 

How we'd have a little fun 
With our loving mother. 

Mother's birthday soon will come. 
The years we will not state, 

But in our well-adjusted home 
We always celebrate. 



The thought perhaps was rash, 
But with a laugh and chuckle, 

We put in all our ready cash 
And bought a silver buckle. 

A trifle, say you ? 

Yes, but the love in such a token 
Makes a tie between us 

That never can be broken. 



[23] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Hannah sailed for Europe May 23, 1895. 
H. H. W.—Bon Voyage. 



The name of my girl is Whistle-de-dee, 
A bonny lass you'll find her, 

She has sailed away across the sea, 
And left me far behind her. 



She is the apple of my eye, 

Her smile is life to me, 
I know she'll come back by and by 

From far across the sea. 



May every wind that blows be fair 

And ocean's temper mild, 
God bless thee, is thy father's prayer, 

My love ! My darling child ! 



[24] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Daughter Nina, 
1895 to 1907. 

1895. 

Eighteen years ago to-day 
A bit of sunshine came my way, 
A rosy, dimpled, laughing thing. 
As full of life as a bubbling spring . 
You would not forget 

If you had seen her— 
My dimpled girl. 
My lovely Nina. 

They tell me she is of age to-day. 

That the years have taken my girl away, 

But I have still a lady fair 

With that lovely spirit dwelling there. 

And, as of old, I still can trace 

The laughing sunshine in her face , 

Ah ! You'll not forget 
That you have seen her— 

My lady fair. 
My lovely Nina. 

[25] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



1905. 

Ten years since then have come and gone, 
Ten blessed years until this mom, 
And I have still my lady fair 
With whom I love all things to share. 
She's happier than 

I've ever seen her— 
My lady fair, 
My lovely Nina. 

But I must, so the fates betide, 
For her sake, I must stand aside ; 
Another claims her heart and hand 
(The sweetest one in all the land). 
He is true-hearted, tender, strong. 
He, too, has dearly loved her long, 
He comes to her by Heaven sent. 
And for her sake, I am content. 

She's happier than 
I've ever seen her— 

My lady fair. 
My lovely Nina. 



[26] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Eugene's Birthday, 
August 3, 1907. 

Winter and spring- and summer 

For us have come and gone, 
And their beauty and their glory 

Have just been crowned this morn; 
For my lady fair is lying 

With a son upon her breast, 
And in her face that wondrous light 

Of Motherhood, like one that's blest 
And the grandson is the center 

Of all the love we feel, 
The object of our worship. 
The shrine at which we kneel, 
She's happier than 

I've ever seen her— 
My lady fair, 
My lovely Nina. 



[27] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Anna Hallowell Graduated at the Harvard Annex, 
Proposing to Give her Life to the Classics, hut 
Meeting Horace Davis Abroad, She Changed Her 
Mind. On the Announcement of her Engage- 
ment We Sent Her a Fleur-de-lis Pin, with the 
Following Lines: 

Hallowell vs. Horace. 



Behold the Harvard Annex Queen, 

Staid and stately and serene; 
Many a line of Greek she read, 

At home it was her daily bread. 
But when she crossed the raging sea, 

And roamed among the Fleurs-de-lis, 
Horace became the only book 

Into which she cared to look. 
And now she says she will translate him 

Into Hallowell verbatim. 



[28] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Anna Hallowell and Horace Davis 
at the time of their Wedding. 

Full many a cent 

Is quickly spent 
That should be for the family mending, 

But this is sent 

With the full intent 
That the lovers shall do the spending. 



[29] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Anna Hallowell's Wedding. 

''NoddeU," 
November 28, 1895. 



Old "Noddebo" is gay to-night 
With merry voices sounding, 

Her clans have come with faces bright 
In love and mirth abounding. 

They raise aloft the chorus 

Echoed back by wall and rafter, 

And old and young join in to swell 
The merry song and laughter. 

'Tis a wedding feast to-night, 
The first in this dear home ; 

A crowning joy of years gone by, 
And hope for years to come. 



[30] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Oh light of life ! so wonderful ! 

No human thought divining, 
It comes to us without our wish 

Or even our declining. 

It burns in us from youth to age, 

The reason none can say; 
We only know that life is ours 

To live as best we may. 

We see it lighted when our girls 

And boys to us are given, 
And know that they must work and strive 

As we ourselves have striven. 

We raise them up to maidenhood, 
To manhood and theii' prime ; 

And hope they may be blessed in life. 
As we were in our time. 



Their homes will be where love is known 
If ours have been the same. 

And they will value most from us 
Example's cherished name. 

[31] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

And when the hour of parting comes, 

As it has come to-day, 
We send them forth in hope and trust 

Rejoicing on their way. 



'Tis always hard to say good-bye, 
But when their wings are grown 

The birds from out the nest must fly : 
Their problem is their own. 



From us, no time, nor absence 

Can separate them ever; 
Our hearts are one, beyond the power 

Of circumstance to sever. 



[32] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Having stood God- father for F. V. Burton ^s 

Eldest Son, I Sent Him a Cup with 

the Following Lines Engraved 

on the Bottom of It. 

1892. 



My boy, it is a priceless gift 

To bear thy father's name, 

A heritage of honesty, 

A stepping-stone to fame. 

The world has naught of gear nor gold, 

Nor fields, nor woodlands fair, 

Nor castled halls, nor kingdoms old, 

More precious or more rare. 

Cherish the name, revere it, boy. 

Be staunch, be strong and true. 

The scion of a worthy sire, 

The truest of the true. 



[33] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

To Mr. and Mrs. F. V. Burton, on the Occasion 

of the Laying of the Corner-stone of their 

New Home, at Newhurgh, N. Y., 

September 25, 1896. 

Home is the place that thrills the heart, 

And stirs the tide of feeling, 
Of our best selves it is a part, 

The shrine where all are kneeling. 

Love keeps his fires burning there, 
And friendship finds the open door. 

Sweet childhood comes to claim its share. 
Widening the circle more and more. 

And so the daily thought and care 
Of every man is Home, Sweet Home, 

'Tis present with him everywhere. 
He lives and works for them alone. 

May love and skill guide heart and hand 
To build your castle firm and fair, 

And fortune's choicest gifts befall 
All those who dwell or enter there. 

[34] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Frank Stockton, Christmas, 1896. 

I KNOW a merry man, with a twinkle in his eye, 
He nods a merry nod to every passer-by, 
He's a neighbor and a friend whom everybody knows. 
And he finds a cordial welcome everywhere he goes. 
He has friends to do him honor, and glory when he 

needs it. 
When he writes a funny story everybody reads it— 
Guess my riddle if you can, who will name my merry 

man? 
His renown will never change while the world reads 

"Rudder Grange." 



[35] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



My Wife's Forty-eighth Anniversary. 

At forty-eight 'tis not too late 

To lay some claim to youth, 
A little gray, perhaps, you'll say, 

And that's the honest truth. 
But we can sing the song of Spring, 

And keep our spirits gay, 
And thou wilt be the same to me, 

My true love every day. 

But why repine at loss of time, 

Or count our vigor past? 
Youth is a swain who'll long remain 

With those who hold him fast. 
If in our hearts his sunshine is. 

His welcome at the door. 
We both will say, with each birthday. 

We're younger than before. 



[36] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Christmas, 1897. 
The Christmas Chime. 



We hear, like those of olden time, 

The music of the Christmas Chime, 

Telling its story again and again, 

Of "Peace on earth, good will to men"— 

That beautiful story told so well 

By the sound of the joyous Christmas bell. 

It seems of Christmas-time a part. 

Finding an echo in every heart, 

And everywhere throughout the land 

Its tokens pass from hand to hand. 

So may we our voices raise 

With thankful hearts in songs of praise, 

As joyful as the merry chime 

That rings so clear at Christmas-time. 



[37] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Cousin Mary Parsons on her 
Seventy -fifth Anniversary, 1898. 

If we're alive 
At seventy-five, 

We all would like to be 
As blithe and spry 
And keen of eye 

And full of fun as thee. 

In very truth 

The springs of youth 

Have been, and still are thine, 
And thou canst say 
That locks of gray 

Do not their ends define. 



Why then let fears 
Of failing years 

Beset us, when we see 
How bright and gay 
In every way 

Life always seems to thee ? 



[38] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Come, take the cup, 
And fill it up. 

And pledge the wish with me 
'May every year 
Bring health and cheer, 

Our honored guest, to thee." 



[39] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Lines Written in Mrs. Walter Cutting 's House 
Book, Pittsfield, Mass., January 23, 1899. 

It is not always length of days 

That makes a friendship strong- 
One heart may know another, 

Though acquaintance be not long; 
A word of cordial greeting, 

A look, a smile, may mean 
The sure and true foundation 

Of mutual esteem. 
I write my name in parting. 

And much my heart would tell. 
And I only can express it 

In the good old word "Farewell." 



[40] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Written for the Engagement Dinner given to 

Ridley Watts and Gertrude Hoy, 

October 24, 1899. 

A YOUNG man paced with anxious stride, 

Up and down, from side to side. 

Oh ! Ho ! says I, Watts up, my boy? 

Says he, I've lost my "Ship-a-Hoy," 

The finest craft that ever sailed, 

Alas ! Alack-a-day, he wailed, 

It would have been a lasting joy 

To change her name to Watts from Hoy. 

Avast ! says I, it's not so bad, 

Come, take a brace ! Cheer up, my lad ! 

Such wild despair will never do, 

She's wondering Watts become of you. 

And sailed off on a cruise, you know; 

Be sure you'll have her soon in tow. 

I think if you'll consult the log. 

You'll find she's shaped her course for Quogue, 

Down where the summer breezes blow, 

Where days are long, and time is slow, 

[41] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Where lovers wander on the beach 
Out of sight and out of reach, 
Whispering and murmuring like the sea, 
That old, old story of you and me. 
He smiled and started off that way, 
And when I crossed his bows one day. 
His deep despair was turned to joy, 
He had in tow his "Ship-a-Hoy." 



[42] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To my Nephew, Jack Hallowell, Bight End of 

Harvard's Football Eleven, 

November 27, 1899. 

Harvard 17— Yale 0. 



"H" STANDS for Fair Harvard, 

Who mothers us all. 
For her heroes who gladly 

Respond to her call ; 
For the Honors theyVe won 

In serving her well, 
And for her "Right End," 

John White Hallowell. 
Play straight and play strong, my lad, 

Honest and sure. 
And your fame at Fair Harvard 

Shall ever endure. 



[43] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



A Twelfth Street Valentine. 

In the merry days of youth, 

When life was all a rhyme, 
What a jolly thing it was 

To write a valentine ! 
Or if you had a cent or two, 

Like some one I could name, 
You'd skip around the corner. 

And buy one from "M. Lane." 
A gushing, blushing missive. 

With hearts and flowers on it, 
And printed at the bottom 

A lovely little sonnet. 
Can hearts that fifty seasons know 

Recall that golden time? 
And heads a little tinged with snow 

Enjoy a valentine? 
Yes ; memory gives an added zest, 

The ripened fruit is always best. 



[44] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To D. S. Newhall 
With a Hearth Brush for their New Home. 

The brightest spot on the earth is home, 

And when one calls that spot one's own, 

And gives to every nook a share 

Of individual, watchful care. 

Planning each room to suit its guest, 

And please each varying fancy best; 

Ah ! then perfection is attained, 

And sweet content for all is gained. 

But yet, perchance, by hook or crook. 

There may remain a vacant nook 

Whose furnishing, a little scant, 

May welcome still an occupant. 

If this by the fireside chance to be, 

Reserve it, if you please, for me, 

A humble applicant for fame 

Who seeks to hang beside the crane. 

May the light of thy fire for thee ever shine, 

And the warmth of its welcome be thine for all time. 



[45] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



These Lmes were Sent with a Set of Glasses to Fred 

and George Moore and G. Fairfax Bush, 

ivith Whom I had Made Pleasant 

Expeditions on the Wheel. 



What, ho ! My Benedicts ! My boys, 

Beware the tempting cup ; 
But when your uncle comes around, 

Fill up ! my boys, fill up. 

What matter if our Potts is late 

Or the "Cynics' " shafts strike home, 

Or nephew Bush indulge his fad 
Of guying all who come. 

We've ridden many a jolly mile 

Down many a dizzy coast, 
And as we hope for many more. 

Come join your uncle's toast. 



[46] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

The wheel ! The wheel ! our trusty steed, 

So speedy and so sure; 
We'll ride it on o'er hill and dale 

While health and strength endure. 

And so, good luck ! My Benedicts ! 

Fill up the glass, I say ! 
We've many a mile before us yet, 

And many a holiday. 



[47] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



We made a Visit to 

Uncle Charles and Mary Wharton at Newport. 

At Christmas Time Mary Sent a Shawl, 

with the Following Lines: 

I THOUGHT I'd like to write a rhyme 

To go with Mary's shawl, 
But I seemed to stick at every line, 

And couldn't write at all. 
My wife she wanted something fine. 

Full of sentiment and love, 
Hearts a-heaving and a-sighing 

Like the billows in your cove. 
Of course I couldn't quite agree. 

As husbands won't, sometimes, 
And that's the reason why you see 

I'm sending you these lines. 
I want to give you solid chunks 

Of our appreciation 
Of Newport hospitality, 

Without exaggeration. 

[48] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

You took us both clean off our feet 

When we stayed with you last Summer, 
That ranch of yours is hard to beat— 

What we should call a hummer. 
It isn't very much for trees, 

Bananas wouldn't thrive, 
But then you always have a breeze. 

And can always take a drive. 
The visitor arising 

Before the break of day, 
Would see our host and stalwart sons. 

In very light array, 
Disporting in their bathing tent 

Like bull-frogs on the shore; 
And every minute in they went 

The bottom to explore. 
All through the day the sailing 

And tennis took our time, 
And when the bell for dinner rang 

You found us all in line. 
When evening came we took our ease. 

Not caring to be active. 
And found the porch and summer breeze 

By far the most attractive. 
In fact, that breeze so soothing was 

That many a nod was seen, 

[49] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



And many a nap and solemn pause 

And many a pleasant dream, 
Until our host would rise and say, 

"Wake up ! The Pilgrim's coming ! 
I see her lights far up the bay 

And hear her paddles drumming I" 
And when that wondrous show was gone 

No more was ever said, 
The lights were all put out at once, 

And the family went to bed. 
'Tis thus, dear people, we recall 

That pleasant summer day. 
And memory lets her mantle fall 

On this my humble lay. 
May Santa Glaus his blessing give 

To all of you and yours. 
The pleasure you have given 

Its own reward assures. 



[50] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Sent with a Fly Booh to my Old Friend, 
Fisher Corlies. 



Fisher and Fishing both have F 

For their initial letter, 
And when Fisher goes a-fishing 

No fellow fishes better. 



But when a fellow fishes 
With Fisher for his friend, 

That fishing is ideal, 
And friendship crowns the end. 



[51] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Sent with a Mince Pie to a Friend, 

Emblem of the Yankee feast, 
Choicest dish of all the East, 
Could I wish, I would that I 
Should always have a piece of pie. 



[52] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Boy Joe, 

the Harvard Junior, 

May, 1901. 

Mr. Joseph G. Willis, of Harvard renown 

Returned for a day to his own native town ; 

The girls found it out and at once promptly called, 

And Joe said, "Of course," and was nowise appalled. 

He jollied them all, and made many a pun, 

He's a careless young lad, with his jokes and his fun. 

Clapp of Yale, it was thought, o'er the hurdles could go. 

But Joe said, "You'll find him a few seconds slow, 

I mean to defeat him and thus make a hit ; 

In fact, I will make a sure point of it." 

He's a rapid young man, this Joe, with his feet. 

And the "Elis" found out that he couldn't be beat. 



Joe's a jolly good lad, as every one knows, 
But he has a sad way of borrowing clothes ; 
It's all right at Harvard, they don't seem to mind, 
And if a thing fits, they call it a "find." 



[53] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

But he wore father^s coats and his shirts and his shoes, 
And anything else that he thought he could use. 
And father, surprised, said he didn't quite know 
What to say when his clothes appeared upon Joe ; 
But he laughed, and he chuckled, and said, "Well, that 

shows 
It's a very fine thing to have plenty of clothes." 



[54] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Nephew, 

John White Hallowell, 

On His Graduation from Harvard, 

1901. 



Hello, Jack! just a word, my lad, 

To go with a shake of the hand, 
For to-day is the day of parting. 

For you and the rest of the band. 
YouVe a smile on your face, 

And you're glad, you will say, 
But it's hard to part 

With the boys to-day. 

You may well be glad 

Of your record, boy. 
You've a right to rejoice 

With an honest joy. 
It is great to come of an honored line, 

The son of a worthy sire, 
To have the opportunity 

To be something better, higher. 

[55] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

To tread the path your father trod, 

Your brothers all before, 
To win the prize they won, 

And something more. 
Yea, something more. 

For the road is rugged now, 
'Tis harder every year 

To win the laurel bough; 
The competition is more keen, 

The standard higher set. 
And numbers pressing forward 

Make the struggle harder yet. 

But to-day is yours; 
You've placed your name 

On Harvard's record high ; 
'Twill be an inspiration 

To others by and by. 
God bless you, lad, 

The future opens fair; 
May fortune and success attend 

Your footsteps everywhere. 



[56] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Aunt, 

Mrs. Joseph G. Grinnell, 

January, 1902. 

My Dear Aunt Lee : 

My visit was short, but very sweet, 

And my thought with pleasure turns 
Back to thy gentle presence. 

Where thy "Friendship Fire" burns. 
Peace comes to all who enter there, 

And rest from strife and stress. 
And love waits on thy bidding 

With infinite tenderness. 
Long may it be my privilege 

To enter at thy door, 
Sit with thee beside the fire 

And learn wisdom from thy store. 

Affectionately thine, 

Grinnell Willis. 



[57] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

To My Wife, 

Returning home from Havana after 

a severe illness there, 

March, 1902. 

Spring is coming fast, my dear, 
The waiting time is almost o'er ; 

The skies will all be bright and clear 
When thou art home once more. 



Though trying fortunes have beset 
Thy footsteps on a foreign shore, 

Good cheer and health await thee yet, 
When thou art home once more. 

Thy friends, whose love has followed thee 
When thou wert sick and sore, 

With joyful hearts will welcome thee 
When thou art home once more. 

And I, thy humble, faithful swain. 

Will open wide the door. 
And greet thee with a glad refrain, 

A welcome home once more. 



[58] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Family and Friends, 

On My Fifty-fourth Anniversary, 

April, 1902. 



My friends and my relations, 
I accept your salutations, 
You are kind and very generous, 
I am sure ; 

But it seems a little hard 
To remind a fellow pard. 
Of his years, and age for which 
There is no cure. 

Time slips away so fast, 
That nothing seems to last. 
And to-morrow is to-day 

Before we know it. 

We think we're very clever 
And say youth will last forever, 
But he turns us down in silence, 
And we show it. 



[59] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

My family, I observe, 
Are onto every curve; 
I might say Fm only forty 
And no more; 

But in a way provoking, 

They'd laugh and say you're joking, 

For, Grandpa, we know 

You're fifty-four. 

We're a very merry crowd. 
Often queer, but never proud. 
To our friends the door is always 
On the latch; 

We play at every game 
No matter what its name. 
And every now and then 

We win a match. 

Mother loves to make a call, 
Leaving cards for one and all. 
And keeping all our social 
Duties square; 

And she'll never lose a chance 
For a party or a dance, 



[60] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

With the children, you will always 
Find her there. 

Hannah Willis is away, 
I much regret to say; 
Her duty prevents her 

Being here ; 

But she's filling well her part, 
With a brave and loyal heart. 
You are one in a thousand, 
Hannah dear. 

Little Nina, jolly girl. 
Lives in such a busy whirl, 
I wonder how she ever can 

Get through it; 

She has to ride her horse, 
And play golf around the course, 
And tennis if there's ever 
Time to do it. 

Joe is off at Harvard College, 
In hot pursuit of knowledge, 
He's a runner, very rapid 
With his feet. 

[61] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

They say he shines at night, 
Being quite a social light, 
And a very merry lad 

He is to meet. 

And the last, the little one, 
Is Hannah's sturdy son, 
A rosy little chap 

He's said to be; 

He will soon assert his right 
To rule us in his might, 
For the world bows down 
To such as he. 



[62] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Partner, 

Horace Chase Stehhins, 

Engraved in a watch given to him 

as a wedding present, 

November, 1902. 

My lad, weVe weathered storm and stress, 

And journeyed on in sun and shine ; 
With thankful heart your love I bless. 

And you, I know, feel sure of mine. 
The times gone by we treasure here 

In memory's store and hold them fast. 
And may we ever hold as dear 

The times to come, when they are past. 
A sweet new life has come to you, 

Bringing joy and love divine ; 
Be true to her, my lad, be true. 

As this sure keeper of the time. 



[63] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Mother, 

Christmas, 

1903. 

Christmas Tide. 



In olden time sweet songs were sung, 
Of "Peace on Earth," to all good will. 

And chimes at Christmas-time were rung. 
To mind men that Love blessed them still. 



And so to-day, Love sways our hearts 
To generous impulse, far and wide. 

And every gift we send imparts 
The Love of God at Christmas-tide. 



[64] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Haydocks vs. Hallowells, 

Family Bazique Championship, 

Jamestown, B. L, 

1903. 



When the Haydocks and the Hallowells meet, 

Be sure it is indeed a treat; 

And one in every way unique 

To see the "Giant" play Bazique. 

He thinks he knows full well the game, 

And makes his rules to suit the same. 

And when he lays four aces down 

You'd surely think he owned the town. 

But on the other side just now. 

There's "something doing," I'll avow; 

Just listen to that "hard luck tale," 

And those loud cries of woe and wail. 

You'd think the end had surely come, 

But wait, the fun has just begun. 

For out of all this toil and trouble 

Mary has just declared a "Double" ! ! 



[65] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

How she got it no one knows, 
But added to the score it goes, 
And you can put it down as true 
When things are looking very blue, 
And "hard luck tales" are floating round, 
A Double Bazique will soon be found. 
Alas ! poor "Giant" ! It is not the rule 
They taught you at the Hallowell school. 
But if you really wish to win, 
Get the Haydocks to take you in, 
They are the girls you want for "Pards," 
For they know how to hold the cards. 



[66] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Miss shorn, 

A fellow sufferer luith Rheumatism, 

Christmas, 1904. 

We've tried 'most every remedy, 

That mortals can suggest, 
The quiet little exercise. 

And the energetic rest. 
We've taken many waters, 

And every diet we could use, 
We've been rubbed and burned and branded, 

And had powder in our shoes. 
But still we come up smiling. 

As happy as can be, 
For Santa Claus is coming. 

To visit you and me. 
Our trials, cares, and troubles 

Will fade and pass away. 
When night gives way to morning 

And we greet the Christmas Day. 
The day of blessing, giving, 

Of love and hope divine. 
The brightest day of all the year. 

The Merry Christmas-time. 



[67] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Wynant D. Vanderpool and My Daughter Nina, 

on the Occasion of Their Engagement Dinner, 

February, 1905. 

I BEG to announce, and my language is true, 

That Winnie and Nina at last have come to, 

And decided, though late, it is better by far 

Their fortunes to join, than to stay as they are. 

He being quite bashful and timid withal 

Let "Leap Year" go by awaiting a call. 

And Nina, although she had such a good chance, 

Kept waiting and waiting for him to advance ; 

And so in this delicate matter of wooing 

The whole year went by and nothing was doing. 

Father Vanderpool knitted his brows in deep thought, 

And his wife wished that Winnie would do what he ought, 

Mother Willis kept hoping and planned on the sly. 

And Father said all would come right by and by; 

But still in this delicate matter of wooing. 

Time kept slipping by and nothing was doing. ^ 

Meanwhile Father Willis— deliberate man— 

Thought he had discovered a very good plan ; 



[68] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

And one evening when Winnie just happened to call, 

In a casual way, not pressing at all. 

Said, "Winnie, my lad, you look ill to-night ; 

I can tell you what surely will set you all right. 

Just come to Augusta with Nina and me 

And we'll have for a week a good golfing-bee." 

He said,— "Yes,"— and, of course, a threesome was meant, 

And the game was begun with honest intent. 

But before a great while it was easy to see 

It would soon be a onesome or a lonesome for me. 

Then all of a sudden there came a great light— 

Winnie saw it and told Nina of it one night. 

And now they both wonder why it should be 

That they never before such a vision could see. 

How sweet is the story, and always so old, 
Yet as new as the morning whenever 'tis told. 
With a smile and a welcome it came the first day ; 
As it has come forever, so it will come for aye. 
True love brings its blessing to the old and the young. 
And its music is sunshine wherever 'tis sung. 



[69] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Class, 

Harvard, 1870, 

Thirty -fifth Anniversary, 

June, 1905. 

We meet to-night at fifty-eight, 

And realize how time has flown, 
And value most our honest mate 

Who loves us for ourselves alone; 
The friend whose loyalty you've tried, 

Whose heart is ever straight and true. 
You'll give up all the world beside 

And keep him ever close to you. 
There's Tom, the steady, the true blue, 

Your place is warm within my heart, 
One never turns in vain to you 

To do the full and manly part. 
And Sam, whose spirit never wanes 

In any stress of circumstance. 
Whose sparkling wit fresh vigor gains 

From every change of thought or chance ; 

[70] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

He lords it over us to-night, 

And drives his shafts with reckless aim, 
While we enjoy their harmless flight, 

And say, "Uh ! Sam he 's just the same"- 
We're all the same, the same old boys. 

Though thirty years and five have gone 
We laugh and sing and make a noise 

As though it was our Freshman morn, 
And once again old Jones's bell 

Disturbs our dreams as in the past ; 
To chapel we all rush pell-mell. 

Each fearing he may be the last— 
The dear old yard is dressed anew 

And unfamiliar to our eyes. 
But we can call the old one back, 

As though it was a glad surprise— 
And many details of our life, 

That seem sometimes so far away 
Are all before us clear and bright, 

A picture as of yesterday— 
And so I say 'tis not too late 

To lay some claim to youth, 
A little gray perhaps you'll say. 

And that's the honest truth, 
But let us sing the song of spring. 

And keep our spirits gay; 

[71] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

There's a merry side to everything, 

Some sunshine every day- 
Do not repine at loss of time 

Or count our vigor past, 
Youth is a swain who'll long remain 

With those who hold him fast. 
If in our hearts his sunshine is, 

His welcome at the door, 
We all will say each meeting day 

We're younger than before. 



[72] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Inscribed in a Watch 

Given to M. H. Coggeshall when 

he left me to go into business 

for himself, 

September 1, 1905. 

To gain and keep the love of those 
Who journey with us on our way 

Brings happiness and sweet repose, 
And makes life nobler day by day. 



[73] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Read at Our 

Thanksgiving Dinner, 

1905. 



This is Thanksgiving Day, 

The day in olden time 
When New England^s sons and daughters 

Came to worship at her shrine— 

The day when men of Eastern birth, 

Though far away they roam, 
Turn to that hallowed spot of earth. 

Their old New England home. 

And we, who hail from Massachusetts, 
Accept the greeting that she sends, 

And pledge in love and thankfulness 
Our old New England friends. 



[74] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To Mrs. Wynant Vanderpool, 

Thanksgiving Day, 

1905. 



I HAVE a friend from Yankee-land, 

She is my friend-in-law, 
She's about the jolliest person 

That anyone ever saw. 

She has a way, a winning way, 
(Her son's a winner, too, 

He won my daughter Nina, 
Which is no small thing to do.) 

And in her way, her winning way. 
She says with face serene, 

This is my anniversary. 
The sixtieth one I've seen. 



[75] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Well ! of course, it may be so, 
But if she'd said thirty-two 

It would be easier to believe 
For folks like me and you. 

But thirty-two or sixty. 

Whichever one you say, 
We wish her well and drink her health, 

This bright Thanksgiving Day. 



[76] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

To My Sister, 

Mrs. N. P. Hallowell, 

On Her Sixtieth Anniversary. 

Sixty years of blessed living, 
Always loving, always giving; 
Always spending thought and care, 
Open handed everywhere. 

Love has always blessed thy life, 
Easing all its strain and strife. 
And thou hast given it again 
Tenfold, like sunshine after rain. 

We who share it, know it well, 
More than any words can tell 
And ever with us, day and night. 
Thy presence is our hearths delight. 

May love and sunshine ever be 
The portion that is meant for thee. 
And may they always light thy home 
For many, many years to come. 

UOFG. 

[77] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Written from the Grand Canyon Hotel, 

Williams, Arizona, to Mr. Henry A. Stearns, 

March, 1906. 



My dear Sir : 



The stations on life's journey- 
Are marked in many ways, 

Some are soon forgotten, 

Others treasured all our days. 

There are scenes of striking grandeur, 
There are troubles and delays, 

But the friends we meet 
We remember all our days. 

We have traveled far away from home 

For many and many a mile. 
We have seen the snow-capped mountains 

And the fields where flowers smile; 
We have seen the Western ocean 

Looking up with eyes so blue, 
And we've "done" the "Golden State" 

As other "Tourists" do. 

[78] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

From summer into winter 

We have made our winding way, 
From luxuriant orange ranches 

Through the "Desert" in a day, 
We were basking in the sunshine 

A few short hours ago, 
And now from a roaring fire 

Look out on fields of snow,— 
It is surely grand and beautiful. 

We've enjoyed it all and yet 
We recall with greatest pleasure 

The friends that we have met. 
For friends are a joy forever. 

When hearts are strong and true, 
And here's a health from both of us, 

Dear friends, to all of you ! 

Yours sincerely, 

Grinnell Willis. 
P. S. 
Lunch at the Hotel Canyon 

Would make an ostrich cry, 
The only thing that saved it 
Was a piece of apple pie. 

G. W. 



[79] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Inscribed on Fourteen Medals Offered 

for Individual Competition in a Team Match 

between the Morris County Golf Club and the 

Tuxedo Golf Club, 

September, 1906. 

May each one 
Play the game, 
Forgetting name or fame, 
Just to win a simple 
Honor for his side, 
And may every jolly golfer 
Give the best he has 

To offer 

And accept 

Whatever fortune 

May betide. 



[80] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Friend John B. Morgan, 
Christmas, 1906. 

Our old acquaintance, thine and mine, 

Can never fade or cease to be. 
And all our days of "Auld Lang Syne" 

Are precious still to thee and me. 
I love to call them all to mind, 

Those years of long ago ; 
Each one has round my heart entwined 

A tie that no one else can know. 
Oh ! may the coming New Year send 

The best of all that's good and sweet, 
And love and happiness, dear friend, 

Unite to make thy life complete. 



[81] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



To My Wife, 
On the Thirty-second Anniversary of Our Wedding. 

Full many an anniversary 

Has come to thee and me, 
Heartbreaking days have come with tears, 

And happy days, with joy and glee. 

WeVe had our clouds and sunshine. 

Our shadows and our light. 
But we've kept our love unsullied, 

Our affection warm and bright. 

Our fathers and our mothers, 
In word and thought and deed, 

Worked out their lives before us, 
Their simple honest creed; 



And we, by force of circumstance, 

Less simple in our way. 
Have wrought before our children 

Our life work, day by day. 



[82] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Our home like theirs has open been, 
Honest in thought and deed, 

To many friends a pleasure, 
To many a help in need. 

To manhood and to womanhood 
Our children here have grown, 

And with their children go and come 
About the dear Old Home. 

Oh ! may we not rejoice 

To have lived so many years. 

And reaped this glad fruition 
Of all our hopes and fears. 

For more than thirty years 

We have lived and loved and striven. 
And now with grateful hearts 

Thank God, for all that he has given. 



[83] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Written for a friend, 

to be inscribed on a cup for his god-daughter, 

1907, 



Ever since the long-ago 
To manhood and to youth 

The cup has been an emblem 
Of loyalty and truth. 

So in this cup I pledge to thee 

The best I am, and hope to be. 



[84] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Uncle Dudley *s Party, 

Consisting of My Wife, My Niece, mid Myself, in 

Europe, 1907. 



The visit of the Willises to Europe is my theme, 

For many years a cherished hope 
Indulged in as a dream ; 

But now they've crossed the ocean 
And gaze with hungry eyes 

On France, so green and beautiful, 
Their first and glad surprise. 



Father Willis had preceded them, 

Just to try his hand. 
And skipped to Paris in his car 

And on to Switzerland, 
Over mountain pass and valley 

On to Italy, and then 
Through strange and varied scenes, 

To old and gay "Vienne." 

[85] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

A few wild oats were scattered there, 

Not enough to make a crop, 
For Bailey he stopped Father, 

When he thought he ought to stop. 
His tongue was twisted into knots, 

With "Merci Sil vous plait" 
And "Danke sie" and "ja mein herr," 

As all the Dutchmen say. 
These languages are dreadful 

In this strange foreign land, 
Plain English is much easier 

To talk and understand. 

But I must cut my story short, 

He Westward found his way, 
And Eleanor and Mother 

One fine September day,— 
The ladies were in spirits gay. 

As Joe says, "full of prunes," 
They had not laughed so much, they said. 

In many, many moons. 
Staid Mother, she had danced a jig 

One night upon the ship. 
And Eleanor, of course, had found 

A beau upon the trip. 
No railroad train for them would do, 

[86] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

"An automobile for mine/' 
And there was Father on the dock 

And Eugene, polite and fine. 
"Allez Eugene !" "Toumez a gauche !" 

Vite ! Vite ! They sped away, 
Past many a picturesque chateau 

And many a peasant gay. 
William the Conqueror's Wayside Inn 

Protected them that night. 
Its courtyard strange and gray with age. 

Its flowers, a delight. 
They dreamt of ladies bright and gay, 

Of heroes strong and bold. 
And took for gospel truth the tales 

The sly old Frenchman told. 
The sun comes up as gay in France 

As all else seems to be, 
And lends a brilliancy to things 

That makes them fair to see. 
That mom the cafe au lait was hot, 

The eggs and chicken, hearty, 
And everything was smiling 

On Uncle Dudley's party. 
"To Paris!" "On to Paris." 

"A Paris !" was the cry, 
"Allez Eugene !" "Bon jour Madame !" 

[87] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

"Good-by, Monsieur, good-by!" 
Through many a wooded lane they passed, 

O'er many a mile they sped. 
The villages and postal cards 

Almost turned Mother's head. 
And then they came to "St. Germain" 

And the gardens of "St. Cloud !'' 
And passing o'er the hill, 

"Gay Paris" came in view. 
Ah, Paris ! Tres Magnifique ! 

Tres, tres, bein beaucoup ! 
From far across the ocean 

We've come to visit you! 
Oh ! There's the "Arc de Triumph," 

Of which we've oft heard tell, 
And grand old "Notre Dame," 

We know them both so well. 
And then they passed across the Seine 

And down the "Champs Elysees," 
And wondered that they'd come so far 

And done it all so easy. 

Well, Uncle Dudley's party 

In Paris was a sight, 
They did the town and saw the shows. 

With unalloyed delight. 

[88] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

They spent his money in the shops, 

And went to L' Opera, 
The churches and "The Louvre,^' 

Where all the statues are. 
They talked with every one they met, 

In language strange and weird, 
The thing they really wished to say 

Was often sadly "queered." 
Their French, indeed, was somewhat slim, 

And often wouldn't go. 
The Frenchmen's words came much too fast 

And theirs came much too slow. 
But still the days passed swiftly by. 

Their visit soon was over. 
Good-by ! "Paris !" Good-by ! We're off 

To London via Dover. 

London ! How can my pen describe, 

In terms of verse or prose. 
The ceaseless bustle of the streets, 

Its dignified repose. 
To have a porter take your bag. 

With " 'Ave a 'ansom, please, sir," 
Was just like turning on 

A cool, refreshing breeze, sir. 
To read the signs upon the streets, 

[89] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

Of "Charing Cross" and "Waterloo," 
Was just as if some old-time friend 

Had come and shaken hands with you. 
To Uncle Dudley^s party, 

It seemed like getting home. 
They loved the gray old mansions 

And old St. Paul's big dome. 
They worshiped in the "Abbey," 

And heard the choir sing 
Those grand old hymns 

That seem to stir the very depths within. 
And echoed upward through the aisles 

In tones so grand and sweet. 
As tho' they'd reach to olden times 

And ancient heroes meet. 
They learned the way to Regent Street, 

Where all the merchants dwell. 
And knew the Burlington Arcade, 

And Liberty's as well. 
They told of bargains wonderful, 

Of clothes and hats supreme. 
And many a shilling went that way. 

And many a pound, I ween. 

"Our days are passing swiftly by, 
There are many things to see." 

[90] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

"Away !" says Uncle Dudley, 
"We're oE to the North Countrie." 
They stopped at York, that staid old town. 

With its roots in the long ago, 
And saw its grand cathedral 

And the ancient wall below. 
And thence they passed to Edinburgh, 

Scott's beautiful, peaceful town. 
Which boasts his stately monument. 

And the castle for its crown. 
They rode to lovely Roslin, 

And out to Holyrood, 
And mounted up the castle walls 

Where Scotland's heroes stood. 
"Ah ! Graceful Edinburgh," they said, 
" 'Tis hard to turn away. 
Perhaps our Uncle Dudley 
Will bring us back some day.'' 

Back again in London, 

Uncle Dudley kept them going 

To galleries and churches 

Interesting and worth knowing. 

They motored out to Hampton Court, 
And wandered through its halls. 

And gazed upon the pictures 

[91] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

That were mouldering on its walls. 
They went to stately Windsor, 

That gem of England's crown, 
Where Royalty has made its home, 

From early ages down. 
Its turrets and its battlements, 

So grim and gray with age, 
Are writ in terms heroic 

On History's living page. 
In its chapels and its towers. 

Kings past and present dwell, 
A royal home it is, indeed. 

And England loves it well. 

"Hooray !" says Uncle Dudley, 
" 'Tis as fine as fine can be. 
But I want you to go to a place I know. 
That's just as fine," says he. 
" 'Tis a land of old-time memories, 
'Way back in the yesterday. 
The land of William Shakespeare 
And his wife, Ann Hathaway." 
So he found a car both swift and strong. 
And a man whose name was "Vesey." 
It held all hands, with bags and rugs, 
And ^'Le Panier Vert" quite easy. 

[92] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

They tarried first in Oxford town, 

Of storied fame and widely known, 
A gray old place, it has a charm 

That is peculiarly its own. 
Its colleges in ivy clad, 

Its courtyards carpeted in green, 
Have echoed back the voice and tread 

Of the greatest men the world has seen. 
The lad who enters there, comes out 

Prepared, mayhap, for church or state. 
But priest or statesman, he will work 

To make his land, Old England, great. 

"Come," said Uncle Dudley, 

"This tour must go on. 
I must get you away from the students gay 

And the grave and reverend Don." 
Forty miles or thereabout. 

Brought them to Stratford town, 
To which our dear old William 

Has given such renown. 
They saw the house where he was bom, 

A funny little shack, 
And the old settee, where Ann and he 

Made love away, Vay back ! 
They saw his chapel and his grave, 

[93] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

By which the river flows, 
Ann's cottage that he knew so well 

And everybody knows. 
And then they went to Kenilworth 

And Warwick on the hill, 
Where all the lords of Warwick lived, 

And where they're living still. 
Ah ! Warwick ! There's a gem 

That beats your Uncle's rhyme, 
With its memories past and present, 

For the future and all time. 
What a lofty inspiration. 

To own those castle walls. 
To walk within and sleep and dine 

In those old lordly halls. 

But "Vesey" 's waiting with the car, 

He wants to get away. 
They glide through Coventry's busy town, 

That night at Lincoln stay. 
The morning was the twenty-fourth. 

Father and Mother's day. 
A wedding anniversary. 

Hooray ! they cried. Hooray ! 
The table was with flowers decked. 

Uncle Dudley saw to that. 

[94] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

The bride was beautiful as a queen 

In her new Paris hat. 
The bridesmaid danced about her, 

Enjoying all the fun, 
And the bridegroom looked as happy 

As if he'd just begun. 
With lilies of the valley 

And chrysanthemums galore 
They dressed the car and "Vesey," 

Who was waiting at the door. 
Up to the grand Cathedral 

They rode in perfect style. 
And the organ played a welcome 

As they all walked up the aisle. 
Old Lincoln, many brides and grooms 

Have entered at thy door. 
And many a wedding party 

Has trod the old stone floor. 
But a wedding anniversary 

Like this is seldom seen. 
And a happier one will never come 

Beneath thy roof, I ween. 

They journeyed on to Peterboro' 
And lunched at the Angel Inn. 
If angels ever tarried there 



[95] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 

They must have liked old gin. 
The old Cathedral was great, 

Its Norman arches fine, 
Such dignity and grand repose 

Expressed in every line. 
Next Avent they on to Cambridge 

And saw that college town, 
And the interesting student 

In his funny cap and gown. 
And then the cheerful "Vesey" 

Drove them fifty miles or more, 
And landed them in London, 

And the northern trip was o'er. 

Now Uncle Dudley talked of ships, 
"We're homeward bound," says he. 
"Get ready for the voyage 
Across the stormy sea." 
What magic is there in that word ! 

And what a cheerful sound. 
It thrilled them through and through 

To say, "We'll soon be homeward bound." 



[96] 



RHYMES AND VERSES 



Uncle Dudley 

to the Home Folks, 

from the "Hospice of St. Gotthard." 

We've climbed and climbed this foreign stair, 

Past many a sign that said beware, 

And like our friend "Excelsior," 

We only asked for more and more. 

The gates of Heaven seem open wide, 

We almost hear the angels sing, 

And far and near on every side 

The silence here, proclaims The King! 
'Tis wonderful, and beautiful. 

And far away our fancies roam. 
But turning westward waft a kiss 

To you, dear friends, at home, sweet home. 



[97] 



